Tag Archives: Interview with Matt Kelly of Dropkick Murphys in advance of July 1 Fox Theater show

Here is the full e-mail interview in advance of the group’s July 1 show at the Fox Theater in Pomona. Tickets can be found at www.ticketmaster.com Thanks so much to Kristine Ashton-Magnuson for the e-mail interview.

From Matt Kelly (drums) of Dropkick Murphys

June 23, 2011

Q: Has the process of writing songs gotten harder or easier since starting in the mid

1990’s and why? I ask because it took four years to put out “Going Out in Style.”

A: *** Haha… The saying goes, “you have your whole life up ’til then to write your first

album, and a couple years to write each subsequent one.” I guess your early primordial

ideas go into making your first album, and a lot of your early inspiration goes into it.

Subsequent records are a bit more of a challenge, but once you ease into your own style

it becomes more natural. The reasons for the last album taking so long to come out was

mostly family-related stuff and guys wanting to be with their children, a couple of which

were newborns during that 4-year stretch. There were also a couple weddings in the

mix, so as a band that puts family first, we did just that. We toured here and there, but

to write and record an album can be very time-consuming, so there really wasn’t a lot of

time to devote to the 8-10 hour days, 6 days a week, for three months or so that it took

to write and record the album. Eventually, time was in our favor, and *boom*, we were

all set. ***

Q: Who was your favorite guest to work with on the “Going Out In Style” album and

why?

A: *** Lenny Clark. The guy is a class-act, funny bastard. His wife was a sweetheart, too,

and contributed to a couple backing vocals. I mean, having a comedian (and a great

one at that) in the recording studio is hilarious; dude’s a natural funnyman. ***

Q: Did you or other band members worry the title “Going Out In Style” might make

people think the group was retiring? Did the Warner Bros. record label in any way

try to influence the sound or select a possible single for you?

A: *** Haha, we brought it up, but the double entendre made it more mysterious in

hindsight. As far as our label, it’s Born and Bred, under the Independent Label Group;

so as the name implies, for all intents and purposes aside from manufacture, distribution,

and advertizing, we do what we want. The people at I.L.G. are great and supportive, but

aren’t in any way intrusive. We do what we do, and we dictate the terms at every turn.

***

Q: Is there a favorite song or one that has the most meaning to you (like “Take ‘Em

Down,” etc.) from “Going Out In Style” and why?

A: *** I like “Broken Hymns,” as it’s a little different and a challenge to play live. It’s longer

and more “epic” if you will, and I keep up a constant on the snare, snare rim, and hi-

hat, adding more and more kick drum as the song progresses, keeping the energy

restrained. It’s not the type of song we’ve done before so it’s a little change of gears